Filter.



Patented Nov. 2|, 1899.

2 Sheets-Sheet lA J. w. LEno'ux.

FILTER.

(Application led Nov. 10,

(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 2|, |899.

J. w. LEnoux.

FILTER. (Application ld Nov. 19! 1898.|

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

Ilil

'UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 637,394, datedNovember 21, 1899.

' Application filed November 19, 1898. Serial No. 696,879. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LEDoUX, a citizen' of the United States,residing at Swarthmore, in the county ot' Delaware, State of chamber,and thencev by gravity or otherwise to the clear-water suction well ormain or otherwise, as may be desired.

The invention further consists in an irnproved form and arrangement ofthe lateral and main drains, said lateral drains consisting ofhalf-sections of pipe or tiling, which have recessed edges and areassembled as will be hereinafter explained.

It further consists of the novel combination of a bed of cement orsimilar material having the underdrains supported thereupon, gravelsupported upon said underdrains, and sand supported on said gravel, incombination with a suitable supply-pipe whereby unfiltered water isintroduced to a chamber within the filter and a centrally-locateddischarge-pipe for the withdrawal of the ltered water.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as Will behereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a filter embodying my invention. Fig.2 represents a section on line a: Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section online y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 represents, on an enlarged scale, a perspectiveview of one of the lateral underdrains employed, the same being shown indetached position. Fig. 5 represents a transverse view of the filter,showingthe manner of withdrawing the filtered water therefrom. Fig. 6represents a sectional view of the chamber containing the device forveffecting the regulation of the fiow of filtered water. Fig. 7represents a plan view of Fig. 6. Fig. 7X represents a plan view, partlyin section, of a portion of the apparatus for automatically withdrawingthe filtered Water.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the gures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a filter plant, the same beingcomposed of an outer Wall of masonry 2, con taining partitions 3,whereby the plant is divided up into a series of filter beds or chambers4, 5, 6, and 7, the number of which can of course be increased ordiminished, according to requirements, without departing from the spiritof my invention, and as the dierent compartments or filter-beds aresubstantially the same a description of one will suffice for all.

8 designates an inlet-pipe for the unfiltered water', the same enteringeach of the compartments by means of the branches or conduits 9 andflowing into the upright chamber 10, which latter is formed between theadjacent Wall and the curved or similar shaped wall 11. The water fiowsupwardly and over the top of the wall 11 and mixes with the water abovethe sand in the main compartments of the filter, as 4, whereby it isevenly filtered and fiows downwardly through the sand bed 12 and thencethrough the bed of gravel 13, upon which the sand is superimposed.

14 designates a bed of cement upon which the gravel 13 is supported,said cement also serving to support the lateral underdrains 15, whichare made substantially as indicated in Fig. 4, and consist of thesemicirculartiles 16, which are placed with their edges 17 resting onthe cement bed 14, it being noted that said edges are provided with therecesses 18, (or .perforations, not shown,) whereby the water afterpassing through the sand 12 and the gravel 13 is permitted to enter theseries of lateral drains l5, which are arranged inV suitable number andposition, joined together and also kept in place by means of cement, aswill be noted from Fig. 3, and it will be seen that the water whichenters through the recesses 18 will be in purified and filteredcondition.

19 designates the main drains, into which empty the lateral drains 15 atthe points 20, it being seen that each of the filter beds orcompartments 4, 5, 6, and 7 are provided with the main drains 19, intowhich empty ther drains 15, whereby the water in a filtered con- IOOdition is conducted to the chambers 2O of the regulating apparatus 21,which may be provided with a suitable roof or casing, as is evident.Each of the chambers 2O is provided with a base 227 through which passesthe pipe 23, the lat-ter having secured thereto an elbow 2i, which hasthe nipple or extension 25 in engagement therewith, said nipple being inthreaded engagement with the brass or composition-metal coupling26,whieh is engaged by the brass or composition-metal nipple 27, whichis secured to the elbow 28, from which extends the swinging pipe-section29, which has the float 30 attached thereto by means of the connection31X, wherefrom. it will be evident that the extremity 31 of the pipe 29will by reason of the iioat 30 always be retained at a certainpredetermined position below the level of the filtered water in the wellor chamber 30, said water tlowing through said pipe 29, the pipe 23, andthence through the pipes 32 or 33 to the mains 34 and 35, the passage ofwater to said mains being controlled when necessary by means of thegates 36 and 37, respectively.

3S designates a journal or trunnion which is attached to the elbow 28and rests in a suitable bearing, whereby part of the strain is taken offthe coupling 2G, the latter and the nipple 27 always being freelymovable relative to each other, since they are made of noncorrodiblematerial.

The operation is as follows: The incoming water is introduced into thedifferent compartments of the filter plant through the medium of thepipe S and the branches 9 leading therefrom, it being important that thewater should iow through every part of the filter at a uniform rate, andI have found by practice that it is desirable to have the requiredthickness of sand resting on a perfectly porous base, through which allthe filtered water will percolate and iinally reach the main outlet. Thewater ows downward through the sand 12 and gravel 13 of thelateral-drains 15, thence to the main drains 19 and to thefiltered-water compartments 20X.

The best results are obtained by supporting the lateral drains on a bedof cement, although this is not absolutely essential in every case. Thejoints between the tiles 16, composing the lateral drains 15,are filledwith cement, so that no sand can enter except at the bottom recesses 1Sprovided, and the ends of said drains are closed, as seen in Figs. 3 and5. A minimum quantity of gravel will hence be required, as is evident.

By the above construction it will be noted that the sand cannotreach theinterior of the drain, as it would if the openings in the drain were ontop, as is customary. I also desire to call special attention to theemployment of the half-tiles (seen in Fig. l) for the -lateral drains,the same being cheaply assembled and connected or arranged substantiallyas explained.

I can, if desired, use half-tiles laid on projections of mortar, leavinga space at the bottom for water to enter; but in either case the waterpasses downwardly through the sand, thence to the gravel to the bottomof the drains, where it enters and passes along on the cement surface tothe main drains 19 and thence to the regulating-chambers 20X,substantially as has been explained. tVhile it is preferable to have thegravel bed continuous between adjacent lateral drains, the constructioncan be simplified and cheapcned by merely piling gravel around eachdrain and filling intervening space with sand.

In a sand-filter itis important that the rate of filtration be uniformat all times, and in order that no sudden changes of said rate oecur Iemploy the apparatus seen in Figs. 6 and 7. By the function of theswinging pipe 29 and the lioat 30, attached thereto, it will be seenthat said pipe will be elevated and freely movable in all its positions,while the float 30 remains at a fixed or adjustable distance fromtheinlet-openingin the pipe, thus accomplishing the object of securing asubmerged orifice having a constant head, and hence constant rate offiow. The construetion of the joints, whereby said pipe 29 is pel'-mitted to swing or oseillate through its are, will he understood fromFigs. 6, 7, and 7X, certain parts being omitted from Fig. 7 which areclearly shown in Fig. 7X.

It will be apparent that leakage is reduced to a minimum by theemployment of the threaded joint and its adjuncts, and, if desired, theiioat 30 can be counterbalanced if necessary.

If desired, the inlet-opening of the swinging pipe 29 can be providedwith an elbow, so that the plane of the opening can revolve in adirection parallel to the plane of rotation. The swinging pipe 29 is inpractice a galvanized or other light pipe, and by the employment of thebrass or composition-metal coupling and nipple its rotation oroscillation readily occurs with a minimum friction, and rusting of theworking joint is obviated.

In filtering water through a sand bed the top surface of the sandgradually clogs up, due to the deposition of sediment and othermaterial, and consequently the rate of filtration through the sand isproportionate to the difference of level between the water over the sandbed and the water in the regulatingchamber. As the rate of flow throughthe submerged orifice of the pipe 29 is constant when once the length ofchain eonnection3l is properly adjusted, the level of the water in theregulating-chamber 2O will lower as the rate of filtration through thesand bed becomes less. As the water-level falls it will carry the floatand the submerged orifice of the pipe 29 with it, whereby thediiferences in level between the water and the filter basin or beds 4,5, 6, or 7 and the regulating-chamber will automatically be changed, soas to maintain a constant rate of filtration as the sand bed 12gradually becomes clogged.

IOO

IIO

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a filter, a lateral drain for the withdrawal of filtered water,the same being composed of curved or segmental sections of tiling, thesame being recessed or perforated at or near their bottom edges, saidsections being arranged in continuous series, and the end sections ofthe drain having their outer eX- tremities closed.

2. In a filter, a cement bed, a longitudinal main drain thereunder, aseries of lateral drains supported upon said bed, and having recessed orperforated edges and closed ends, a layer of gravel above said lateraldrains and a layer of sand supported upon said gravel.

3. A lter plant consisting of a series of compartments, an inlet leadingto the inner portion thereof, a series of lateral drains in saidcompartments, said drains being composed of a series of sections oftiling arranged in continuous order and having recessed edges, a bedsupporting said drains, gravel surrounding said Vdrains and supportedupon said bed, sand supported above said gravel anda series of maindrains communicating with said lateral drains.

4. The combination of a filter and a chamber for the reception of.filtered water therefrom, said chamber containing an outlet-pipe,

an elbow connected therewith, a nipple en-' gaging said elbow, anon-corrodible coupling engaging said nipple, a non-corrodible nippleengaging said coupling, a swinging pipe attached to said nipple, a iioatand a connection common to said pipe and float.

5. In a filter, a chamber for the reception of filtered water, anoutlet-pipe in said charnber, an elbow connected therewith, a nippleengaging said elbow, a coupling engaging said nipple, a second nippleengaging said coupling, a swinging pipe engaging one of said nipples, atrunnion on said elbow located opposite to said coupling, a float and aconnection from the latter to said swinging pipe.

6. The combination of a plurality of iiltering-compartments, means forconveying water therefrom to a series of wells for the reception offiltered water, regulating devices having a submerged orifice located ineach of said wells and outlet-pipes leading from said devices.

7. In a filter, abcd, a drain supported thereupon and composed ofsegmental sections of tiling, having openings near their bottom edges,said `sections being arranged in continuous series and the outersections having closed ends, gravel surrounding said drain and supportedupon said bed, a layer of sand supported upon said gravel and means forwithdrawing the filtered water.

8. A plurality of iiltering-compartments, means for conveying watertherefrom, a series of wells, regulating devices having a submergedorifice located in each of said wells, an outlet-pipe leading from saiddevices, said outlet-pipe being provided with the branches 32 and 33,which lead to mains 34: and 35 and valves 36 and 37 located in saidbranches.

JOHN W. LEDOUX.

Witnesses:

JOHN A.W1EDnRsnE1M, E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS.

